Illuminated sign



(No Mom.) 2 sheets-sheen 1.

Y E. F. GAVIN. ILLUMINATED SIGN.

No. 433,677. Patented Aug. 5, 1890.

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2 Sheets Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

E. F. GAVIN. ILLUMINATED SIGN.

Patented Aug. 5, 1890.

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EDWARD F. GAVIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,677,

dated August 5,1890.

Application filed March 22, 1889. A Serial No. 304,266. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. GAvIN, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminated Signs; and I do hereby declare that thefollowin g is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel illustration of that class wherein the letters or characters on the sign are outlined by rows of gasjets disposed in proper order to form the desired letters or characters.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is a side elevation of one form of sign embodying the main featurps of the invention. Fig. 2 Iis a top or plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a section taken upon line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail elevation of a part of the sign. Fig. 5 is a detail section taken upon line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a side View of a somewhat different form of the invention. Fig. 7 is a detail section taken upon line 7 7 of Fig. l. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a part containing a single character or letter removed from t-he sign. Fig. 9 shows in face view still another way of constructing the sign according to the general plan proposed. Fig. lO is a perspective view of one of the parts shown in Fig. f) removed from the body of the sign. Fig. ll illustrates in side elevation still another form of sign embodying the main features of my invention. Fig. l2 is a sectional View thereof, taken upon line l2 l2 of Fig. ll.

As shown in the said drawings, Aindicates a closed metal box, provided on each side with a plurality of holes d a, arranged in regular order and adapted to receive either screw-` plugs or gas-burners.

B B indicate screw-plugs inserted in some of the said holes a a for closing the same, and C C indicate gas-burners, also inserted in some of the said holes. I) is a flexible gas-pipe leading from a suitable source of supply and connected at one end with the hollow metal box A for supplying gas to the same.

as may be desired.

In rising the device gas-burners are placed in the holes in such order as to form the desired letters or characters, the other holes in the side of the box being filled by the plugs. The burners may be shifted at any time into other holes to change the letters on the sign The particular box or inclosure illustrated is shown as provided with holes, plugs, and burners in both of its side walls, the latter being fiat and parallel with each other. This construction is not essential, however, and my invention may be oarried out'by the use of a hollow inclosure or box of any other form and having such apertures, plugs, and burners at either one or both sides.

It is obviously desirable that a sign constructed as above described should be movably supported in such manner that it may be easily shifted to a point convenient for changing the position of the burners and plugs in forming new letters. For this purpose I pro'- vide the following devices: To the upper part of the box or inelosure A are connected two or more standards E E E, to the upper ends of which are seen red rollers e e e, which rest upon horizontal tracks F F, arranged to sustain the sign in a desired position. When the sign is supported in front of a building, over a sidewalk, for instance, the railsF F maybe attached at their inner ends to the building and their outer ends may be support-ed by inclined rods F F. The employment of two rails F F and two rollers c e upon each standard is desirable in order to hold the sign from swinging or moving laterally. This construction is not in all cases essential, however, and the rollers and rails may be otherwise arranged, if preferred. At the outer ends of the rails F F is located astop F2, for limiting the outward movement of the box when thrust outwardlyon the rails, said stop being herein shown as bolted to both rails, so as to form a brace to hold the same parallel.

In Fig. 6 is shown another construction embodying the main features of my invention. In this instance the box A is provided with two or more horizontal rows of holes a a. G G indicate hollow metal heads provided with flat front faces, in which are formed perforations arranged in a manner to constitute a single letter or character. Said hollow metal IOO heads are provided with tubular extensions g g, fitted to the screw-threaded apertures d. H II are plugs for filling the holes ou a', which are unoccupied by the hollow heads G. The said heads G are provided with perforations arranged to form the different letters or characters required for making the word or words needed, and maybe shifted or changed in position by insertion in the holes a a, so as to form any words desired.

In Figs. 9 and IO is shown still another modification ofthe central or main feature of the invention, wherein the metal box A is provided with a plurality of apertures a2 a2, arranged in a plurality of horizontal lines or rows, the'holes in this case being located ata greater distance apart than those shown in Fig. l and being less numerous. The letters in this case are made of short straight or curved pieces or sections of tubing I I, having tubular shanks e', which may be inserted in the holes a2 a2, so as to bring the interior of the tubes I I in communication with the hollow interior of the box. Said tubes t' t' are perforated along their outer faces so as to form lines of gas-jets which, when the tubes are placed together to form letters, serve to outline the latter. In a case of this kind the tube-sections I I cannot conveniently be turned for screwing the shanks into the box, and the said shanks will commonly be made smooth and slightly conical and itted accurately to correspondingly shaped smooth holes in the box.

In Figs. Il and 12 I have shown still another embodiment of the main features of my invention,\vhich has some advantages in point of simplicity and economy over those hereinbefore described. In this instance the box A is provided with a large number ot' uniformly-spaced holes d3 a3, similar to those shown in Fig. l, but smaller and without screw-threads, the gas in this instance being burned as it issues from said holes without the useof separately-attached burners. J isasheet of paper, fabric, asbestus, or other suitable material rendered impervious to gas by being saturated or covered with paint, varnish, or the like, andseeured to the said box by any suitable adhesive substance. In said sheetl are formed openings, affording egress for the gas from such of the holes a3 a3 as will form the desired letters or characters. As illustrated in the drawings', the sheet J is cutaway to form openings having the shape of the desired letters or characters, so that the metal of the box A is uncovered in its parts adjacent to the holes at which the gas is burned. If desired, however, the sheet lmay be originally applied over the entire perforated surface of the box, and holes then punched through the sheet, coinciding with holes in the box, so as to outline the desired letters or characters.

I claim as my invention- 1. -An illuminated sign comprising a box or inclosure having a plurality of apertures for the exit of the gas, removable plugs for closing a portion of the same, and a pipe supplying gas to said box.

2. An illuminated sign comprising a box or inclosure provided with a plurality of exitapertures, a pipe supplying gas to the same, and a sheet of impervious material secured to said box by suitable adhesive substance and provided with openings or apertures allowing the gas to be burned at some of the holes in the box, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a sign comprising a perforated box or inclosure and a pipe supplying gas to the same, of means for movably supporting the sign, consisting of track-rails and rollers attached to the sign resting on said rails, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a sign comprising a perforated box or inclosure and apipe supplying gas tov the same, of means vfor supporting the sign, comprising two parallel horizontal rails, two or more standards attached to the top of the sign and extending upwardly between said rails, and rollers mounted upon said standards and resting on the rails, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

C. CLARENCE Poot E, HARRY COBB KEN .v E o Z. 

